Tourniquet



Nov. 10, 1964 R. E. SCULLEY TOURNIQUET Original Filed Feb. 24. 1958 mvsmon.

RAYMOND E. SCULLEY flfi K United States Patent 3,156,243 TOURNIQUET Raymond E. Sculley, 2218 Elliott SE, Grand Rapids, Mich. Continuation of application Ser. No. 716,928, Feb. 24, 1953. This application June 15, 1961, Ser. N 117,344 Claims. (Cl. 128-4127) This invention relates to the construction of tourniquets, and is a continuation of my application Serial No. 716,928, now abandoned. The use of this general class of devices is Well known in hospitals and in first-aid procedures for the emergency control of bleeding. Essentially, they are elongated pieces of material which are wrapped tightly around an arm or leg in a position to stop the flow of blood at an injury below the tourniquet position. The usefulness of these devices is determined primarily by the ease with which they may be applied and removed, as well as by the adjustability to the required degree of constriction. This invention provides a system for connecting, adjusting, and readily disconnecting the tourniquet so that the flow of blood can be accurately controlled with a minimum of eiiort on the part of the attending personnel.

The constricting action is preferably applied through the use of an elongated flexible piece of tubing, and the locking action which maintains the constriction is generated through the frictional engagement of one portion of the tourniquet against another. This system avoids the necessity of forming a knot to connect the ends of the tourniquet, and thereby avoids considerable time and also the possibility that a jamming action might render it ditficnlt to remove or adjust the constriction when necessary.

The several features of the invention will be analyzed in detail through a discussion of the particular embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 presents a schematic view of a human leg showing a tourniquet applied.

FlGURE 2 is a view of the tourniquet shown in FIG- URE l, on an enlarged scale, and with a portion broken away to conserve space.

FIGURE 3 is a section on the plane IIIIII of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a section in side elevation with respect to FIGURE 2, also having a portion of the central part' of the tourniquet broken away for conservation of space.

Referring to the drawing, the tourniquet generally indicated at 1% is shown applied to the leg 11 at a position above the knee. Tightening of the tourniquet generates a constricting action which can regulate the flow of blood to the leg below the tourniquet position. The details of the tourniquet construction are shown in FIGURES 2, 3, and 4.

The illustrated tourniquet includes an elongated central tubular portion 12 preferably of rubber or a synthetic material having similar resilient and frictional characteristics. The end 13 of the tourniquet is flattened through the insertion of a stiff core member 14 of practically any description within the tubular material. Preferably, the material of the tube is closed over the core member 14 at the extreme end of the tourniquet to present a soft and resilient surface throughout.

The opposite end of the tourniquet is formed by the sections 15 and 16 which are brought together at the point 17 to form a loop. At point 17, the sections 15 and 16 form an acute angle, while at the opposite end they are separated to define a space 18 at the point of connection with the tube 12. Preferably, the sections 15 and 1d are also of tubular resilient material of the type similar to that of the tubing 12, and of a reduced diameter. stiffening pieces 19 and 29 are preferably incorporated at the extreme ends of the sections 15 and 16, and the tab 21 is secured firmly to the extremity of the tourniquet for readily disengaging the locking action created by the loop 18.

When the tourniquet is wrapped around the leg as shown in FIGURE 1, the end 13 is inserted in the space 18 and a pull is given in a generally radial direction which results in the material of the tube 12 being received as a wedge between the sections 15 and 16 in the area occupied by the stiffening members 19 and 20. The tension in the tourniquet will tend to move the sections 15 and 16 into parallelism, which results in applying a firm gripping action which maintains the constricting action at whatever point has been selected. Release of the device is accomplished by grasping the tab 21 and pulling radially outward with respect to the leg, which results in moving the tubing into an area of the loop 18 where the pinching action is less severe. This makes it possible for a continued pull on the tab 21 to quickly disengage the loop from the opposite end of the tourniquet.

The device can be applied or removed in a fraction of a second by anyone at all familiar with its use. The degree of constriction can be similarly adjusted with basically the same procedure with relative ease.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have been illustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims. In these claims, it is my intent to claim the entire invention disclosed herein, except as I am limited by the prior art.

I claim:

1. A tourniquet, comprising: a piece of flexible tubing of convenient length to extend around a member of a body; a resilient loop joined to an end of said piece and elongated along the axis thereof, the opposite sides of said loop converging at an acute angle at the end of said loop remote from said piece, said sides each being provided with a stiffening member extending substantially from the apex of said acute angle to an intermediate point on said loop whereby the application of tension to said piece transferred through said sides will tend to urge said loop sides into parallelism, the opposite end of said piece from said loop being insertable in said loop to various positions to generate tension in said piece, and clamped by said loop in such positions, said loop also having a release tab secured thereto adjacent the apex of said acute angle, and a portion of reduced thickness provided with a reinforcement member at the end of said piece opposite from said loop.

2. A tourniquet, comprising: a piece of flexible material of convenient length to extend around a member of a body; a portion forming a resilient loop joined to an end of said piece and elongated along the axis thereof, the opposite sides of said loop converging at an acute angle at the end of said loop remote from said piece whereby the application of tension to said piece transferred through said sides will tend to urge said loop sides into parallelism, the opposite end of said piece from said loop being insertable in said loop to various positions to generate tension in said piece, and clamped by said loop in such positions, said piece having a portion of reduced thickness provided with a reinforcement member at the end of said piece opposite from said loop.

3. A tourniquet, comprising: a piece of flexible material of convenient length to extend around a member of a body; a resilient loop joined to an end of said piece and elongated along the axis thereof, the opposite sides of said loop converging at an acute angle at the end of said loop remote from said piece whereby the application of tension to said piece transferred through said sides will tend to urge said loop sides into parallelism, the opposite end of said piece from said loop being insertable in said loop to various positions to generate tension in said piece, and clamped by said loop in such positions, said loop also having a release tab secured thereto adjacent the apex of said acute angle.

4. A tourniquet, comprising: a piece of flexible material of convenient length to extend around a member of a body; a resilient loop joined to an end of said piece and elongated along the axis thereof, the opposite sides of said loop converging at an acute angle at the end of said loop remote from said piece, said sides each being provided with a stiffening member extending substantially from the apex of said acute angle to an intermediate point on said loop whereby the application of tension to said piece transferred through said sides will tend to urge said loop sides into parallelism, the opposite end of said piece from said loop being insertable in said loop to various positions to generate tension in said piece, and clamped by said loop in such positions.

5. A tourniquet, comprising: a piece of flexible material of convenient length to extend around a member of a body; a resilient loop joined to an end of said piece and elongated along the axis thereof, the opposite sides of said loop converging at an acute angle at the end of said loop remote from said piece whereby the application of tension to said piece transferred through said sides Will tend to urge said loop sides into parallelism, the opposite end of said piece from said loop being insertable in said loop to various positions to generate tension in said piece, and clamped by said loop in such positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 618,630 Whelan Ian. 31, 1899 1,974,499 Luce Sept. 25, 1934 2,234,961 Canada Mar. 18, 1941 2,581,114 Larson Jan. 1, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,075,876 France Apr. 14, 1954 

1. A TOURNIQUET, COMPRISING: A PIECE OF FLEXIBLE TUBING OF CONVIENIENT LENGTH TO EXTEND AROUND A MEMBER OF A BODY; A RESILIENT LOOP JOINED TO AN END OF SAID PIECE AND ELONGATED ALONG THE AXIS THEREOF, THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID LOOP CONVERGING AT AN ACUTE ANGLE AT THE END OF SAID LOOP REMOTE FROM SAID PIECE, SAID SIDES EACH BEING PROVIDED WITH A STIFFENING MEMBER EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY FROM THE APEX OF SAID ACUTE ANGLE TO AN INTERMEDIATE POINT ON SAID LOOP WHEREBY THE APPLICATION OF TENSION TO SAID PIECE TRANSFERRED THROUGH SAID SIDES WILL TEND TO URGE SAID LOOP SIDES INTO PARALLELISM, THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID PIECE FROM SAID LOOP BEING INSERTABLE IN SAID LOOP TO VARIOUS POSITIONS TO GENERATE TENSION IN SAID PIECE, AND CLAMPED BY SAID LOOP IN SUCH POSITIONS, SAID LOOP ALSO HAVING A RELEASE TAB SECURED THERETO ADJACENT THE APEX OF SAID ACUTE ANGLE, AND A PORTION OF REDUCED THICKNESS PROVIDED WITH A REINFORCEMENT MEMBER AT THE END OF SAID PIECE OPPOSITE FROM SAID LOOP. 